In this blog post, we will be discussing whether noise cancelling headphones are suitable for gaming. Noise-canceling headphones use microphones to measure ambient sound and emit a signal that cancels it out with the opposite waveform.
The result is a product that reduces background noise from things like household appliances, traffic, or people talking so you can enjoy music in peace. But, are they worth the investment? Let’s find out!

What is the Meaning of Noise Cancelling in Headphones?
Noise cancelling headphones reduce background noise for a richer audio experience. The technology works by taking the sound from each channel and combining them to create one splitter, spreading out among corresponding channels to cancel out or dispel unwanted sounds.
Noise cancelling may be built into a single device or added as software on another piece of hardware such as your PC, mobile phone, MP3 player, or laptop computer via Bluetooth connectivity.
When a user plugs a pair of noise cancelling headphones into the device they wish to use, there is no longer any background noise from other sounds.
As such, it has been fittingly categorized as ‘loudness cancellation’ meaning that your music will still be at average volume. Still, all distractions have now been sound-proofed away, even when sitting in an environment where loud noises may occur naturally.
Furthermore, noise Cancelling Headphones are much better than ordinary headphones because they also have a built-in microphone that enables the user to take calls from the internet.
Type of Noise Cancelling Headphones for Gaming
Depending upon the model, there are multiple models of noise cancelling headphones. The most common types include:
- ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) and
- ANC+ (Advanced Active Noise Cancellation).
Some headsets integrate both technologies to create a more versatile headset product that will better withstand ambient noises such as those from aircraft or street traffic.
To assess which type of headphones is best for you, it helps how the two work.
Active Noise Control (ANC): ANC provides good sound quality, excellent noise reduction and allows users to hear ambient noises like street sounds or aircraft flying overhead.
Essentially the technology stays engaged during music listening; it doesn’t turn off when not using headphones but instead turns down low frequencies around you that may be disturbing you while playing games.
If the ANC technology is helpful for you, be sure to get a product with Class 2 noise cancellation (higher price-tag) or look out for the higher Class 3 version.
Active Noise Control+ (ANC+): Provides immersive music and gaming sounds in noisy environments. If your primary concern is the ability to isolate yourself from background noise while playing games, this is the type for you.
Additionally, in ANC+ mode, these headsets work passively by reducing all surrounding noises that are deemed unnecessary or unwanted to your gaming experience. Considering environmental sound effects such as air traffic during flight simulators.
Are Noise Cancelling Headphones Good For Gaming?
Yes! If you want to enjoy the emotions of the game with complete audio clarity but do not want any background noises serving as an obstacle in your way, then definitely buy these headphones.
Since I am highlighting this fact, let me explain how gamers might utilize noise-cancelling headphones for gaming purposes. Most common usage could involve having all personal conversations listened to through headsets at each office or workplace.
In contrast, the same people (or companies) could use noise-cancelling headphones at home or elsewhere for sleeping, relaxing, etc.
For instance, if you are stressed about playing games during your morning commute to work then do not forget to buy headphones with the active canceling feature. So that they can cancel out general ambient noises (sounds of music, honking car horns, etc.).
Also, people might benefit from these by mixing their other personal earphones like Bluetooth headphones while playing on gaming consoles, computers, etc.
Using these two approaches makes it very well possible to use noise-cancelling headphones while playing games or exercising around noisy places you are supposed to be focusing on at that particular moment in time.
Advantage of Using Noise Cancelling Headphone or Headsets while Gaming
Several advantages come with the use of Noise Cancelling Headphones for gaming. First, it allows users to improve quality and clarity in all types of gaming environments.
Such as enjoying games on an office or home PC, having fun anywhere you go (e.g., riding a bike outdoors), and much more!
Definitely buying noise-cancelling headphones, people will also save money by getting discounted headsets where they would be inclined to pay a lesser price compared to those who do not need any noise cancelling feature.
There are some advantages:
1. Reduction of Outside Noise: Noise-cancelling headphones cancel out outside sounds, like cars or people’s chit chatters, that create game sound problems during the gaming session.
This makes it possible for you to hear all of your music and effects, which improves the overall enjoyment of games playing.
2. More Convenient: Noise Cancelling Headphones are great for carrying around since they come relatively tiny (compared to regular headsets) but come equipped with the innovative features mentioned earlier.
They are also super portable or lightweight, making them very useful for anyone who values music and must have their smartphones handy whenever they go anywhere.
3. Increase in Game Trust & Competitive Edge: Noise cancellation improves your gaming performance due to having minimal outside sounds, which reduce distraction while playing on PC, Laptops, Smartphones, etc.
In addition, it increases the sensitivity of hearing, thus providing you with a higher ability to respond faster to sounds within the gaming environment.
4 . For Overall Vibe: There are times when you want to enjoy music (or your game sound effects) in the background, but it is rampant for others or even family members who might not like hearing headphones on because of their artwork.
With noise-cancelling headsets, you do not need to worry since they come with this innovative feature that allows selective noise cancellation that lets only desired sounds pass through (e.g., listening carefully during games).
5. Music Maker: Since noise-cancelling headsets come with in-built headphone amplifiers, you can enjoy listening to music or game sound effects at higher volumes than usual.
Since the sounds are not mixed up anytime when you choose how much volume of music and game sounds pass through your ears, it gives way for more versatility since no outside noise will ruin what is coming out from the earphones themselves.
6. Improved Gameplay Functionality: Because most people constantly run the risk of missing an important call or text due to headphones constantly vibrating against your ears, it results in a very bad experience during real-world applications.
When using noise-canceling headsets, you will not have this problem as overall sounds will be silenced, preventing others from interrupting during gameplay and phone calls.
7. Protect Ear: As we now know, every living thing has an outer and inner part, with hearing being what runs through the center of both.
In general, it will not only mask the sound coming from outside your ear but also protect you from any unwanted game-related noises.
But it will also help relieve pressure deep within your ears, guaranteeing that no harsh sounds or environmental noise will ever damage them.
8. Vibration Resistant: Not only will noise-canceling headsets guarantee perfect sound through your ears, but they can also keep you safe against the effects of hands-on vibration.
Because most headphones come with integrated amplifiers that allow them to boost audio levels even when on standby, external vibrations honestly do no good as they’re able to pass through your headlining anyway.
9. Longer Lasting Efficiency: Unlike typical, traditional headphones, which come off after some time ( if there aren’t any external causes to it), noise-canceling headphones will stay as good as new with the number of times you use them.
In most cases, they can last as long as a year on average before needing replacing, which is not too bad at all.
10. Quality Control & Safety: With noise-canceling headsets, every device would be accountable for its headshot. All components like quality drivers and circuit boards instead of cheap materials would ensure that the overall sound quality is up to par.
No matter how loud it has been amplified through amplifiers while on standby, your hearing levels will remain unimpaired by using a specific technique depending on which headset you have picked from the above categories
The disadvantage of Using Noise Cancelling Headphone or Headsets while gaming
Now is the time to discuss the cons of using these headsets while playing games.
1. Flat Sound: One of the most noticeable disadvantages is that noise-cancelling headsets tend not to offer deep sounds like acoustic guitars and female vocals, both common within the world of video games.
This phenomenon can be due to various scientific reasons, such as how devices work by rebounding sound waves backward instead of crunching them, leaving fewer frequencies, and whatnot ( I am no audio engineer, please do your research).
2. Hardware Lag: All headsets with noise cancelling would experience lag on higher levels. Many factors contribute to the degree of lags shared while gaming, like latency, bit resolution, and third-party software (driver).
As mentioned above, this is connected with how clear your audio signals are after they pass through the headphone’s ear cushion; without some external help, in some cases, you might come up short against not having true sound signal reception.
3. Headache: This is probably the most concerning aspect of using noise cancelling technologies globally, but I believe it’s natural, so not all headsets or audio products are alike.
For example, some people can quickly wear ear pads even over headphones due to having much different pressure around their ears than what they usually would experience with standard devices.
It’s not that headsets cause knots beneath the ears or anything, but if your ear pads are too tight, then you can feel pain even after several hours of wearing them.
4. Battery Life: This is somewhat understandable because the noise cancelling technology of headsets takes up some energy.
Although you may lose real-world time on specific maps and games due to poor reception, low battery life harms your VR experience more than anything else.
Things to Consider to Buy Noise Cancelling Headphones for Gaming
Noise cancelling headphones are great for many other uses, but they are not always the best. There are several factors to consider if you want to buy noise cancelers because their quality can differ significantly depending on what type of gamer you might be.
The following is a list of things that may help when looking for your perfect headset or headphone:
1. Noise Cancellation: The noise reduction quality of the headset plays a key role in your satisfaction, especially if you are planning to use it often already. Using headphones with low frequencies or excessive compression may satisfy you.
But not so much when you use high-frequency canceling accessories that may even drown out external voices since they distort the frequency range. The difference between these two is usually expressed in decibels (dB).
2. Type of Games You Play: If you are a hardcore FPS or VR gamer, buying headphones without noise cancelling technology is probably the best decision.
However, if you don’t want to pay extra for virtual reality games with all sorts of advantages, choosing headsets with noise cancellation capabilities may be a good option for you.
3. Slight Issues: If head tracking is tricky or not working entirely well with these sounds or other such things happen far more often than desired when running them through all the settings in virtual reality games.
Although this is the case, many brands have offered incredible technological advancements, so there’s no reason not to take a look.
This would be an example of the main problem when using headphones without noise cancellation technology.
4. Price: It is the most important factor to consider because you need headphones that match your budget and can provide high-performance at low costs.
These affordable headphones for gaming offer high-quality at a low price, such as the Pirate Gaming Headset and Razer BlackShark V2. However, finding good noise cancelling wireless headsets on their higher price tags will be lots of fun too!
So it all depends on what you can afford, right? But, of course, if you want premium sound quality, spending more will not directly give better results than moderately priced products in terms of performance.
5. Personal Preference: Everyone has their favorite when it comes to noise cancelling headphones. If you need a set of anything, be sure that you take the time and satisfy yourself with what’s available on the market; there aren’t many brands that will give precisely complete immersion for every person out there.
6. Volume Control: Without noise cancellation technology, there is no liquid level adjustment for these headphones; because you would need to use the console’s controller rather than adjust it on your own.
Noise cancelling headsets can provide headphone levels controlled by an external device like Dolby Volume up/down buttons which adjust the volume through software updates or hardware upgrades.
7. Sound Quality: When using headphones with noise cancellation technology, there is a noticeable difference in sound quality that most consumers will notice.
In some cases, it’s platform-dependent, but overall, the mismatch between ear pads and headset drivers produces a lesser music distortion.
This means even if you have paid attention to your budget for this pair of headsets, it’s still important to go ahead and choose a brand that has fantastic designs as well as superior build quality, so hearing is not interrupted at all.
8. Comfortability: Noise cancelling headphones depends on the weight of your head. The number of sound waves can pass through these applications instead make purchasing decisions.
If you’re looking for comfortability, go ahead and invest in something that fits perfectly around your ear.
It has an adjustable strap that can be used with different people, whether men or women, who benefit from noise cancellation headsets.
9. Size: Haven’t you heard how the smaller, more compact headsets should provide better sound quality?
This is very important because although there are headphones out there that may be larger than others, at the same time, these other products will generally lack noise cancellation technology too.
10. Battery Life: High tech headsets would use rechargeable varieties of batteries depending on the type you wish to purchase.
Because these devices are different in size, weight, and material features, they will provide a complete home entertainment experience for users who have smartphones equipped with USB ports.
11. Microphone Quality: If a headset has a microphone that sounds decent enough to use, it will help you avoid the annoying instances of being interrupted by repeated voice messages.
Remember that the most quality of sound will come from perfect noise-cancellation applications. So, you must always invest in a product with an excellent microphone to make up for deafening outcomes.
And if your choice of headset does not have excellent input-output, it may be time to head over towards another model
12. Surround Sound: Investing in headsets that provide surround sound attributes gives users an entirely new listening experience, plus it offers room to reduce environmental sounds.
Surprisingly enough, this feature has actual-world use as well. Although the two widgets are vibration-free, they can prove to be helpful when you’re on long-distance calls.
For example, suppose your headset does not include the desired features of three-dimensional functionality or noise cancellation technology.
In that case, there might be other alternatives, but should you happen upon another device that offers the features and functions of a headset, you will be pleased with what these gadgets can do and where they can move your everyday funk towards.
What is the Best Noise Cancelling Headphones for Gaming?
Write an intro paragraph about the best noise cancelling gaming headphones.
There is no such thing as perfect noise cancelling headphones for everyone. While every person has different preferences, what you find comfortable and good fitting will vary depending on your needs and gaming style.
In addition, specific sound devices can help lessen the sounds around you, so games play at their optimal levels.
Still, there are also some microphones or headsets with excellent quality noise cancellation that could be better suited if it meets your requirements for this category, even if they’re not as popular among sports fans.
However, if you want to invest in a set of noise cancelling headsets that perfectly suit your needs, then look at the following products:
Sony WH-1000XM4 Noise Cancelling Headphones for Gaming

The Sony WH-1000XM4 is a set of premium noise cancelling headphones that even the most hardcore gamer will enjoy.
This headset is made for music and gaming. Wireless connectivity like Bluetooth and NFC makes extended periods of immersion easy without sacrificing visual clarity.
The Sony WH-1000XM4 also has excellent environmental noise cancellation that can be controlled with built-in EQ settings. These are excellent options for gamers who will appreciate their lightweight design.
- Industry-leading noise canceling with Dual Noise Sensor...
- Next-level music with Edge-AI, co-developed with Sony Music...
- Up to 30-hour battery life with quick charging (10 min...
Last update on 2023-05-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 for Gaming

If you’re looking for a quality headset that can afford just as much noise cancellation as the Sony WH-1000XM4 but without being too bulky, then these are some great options.
The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 is one of the best seats on this list, with a cost fit to match.
With an attractive design and a solid amount of support on their earpads, they’ve got your head covered here, even if they don’t have all those fancy features like Bluetooth or NFC connectivity. These are excellent all-around headphones for your gaming experience.
- POWERFUL NOISE CANCELLING HEADPHONES: 11 levels of active...
- ASTONISHING SOUND: Crisp, clear details. Deep, full bass....
- UNRIVALED VOICE PICKUP: A revolutionary microphone system...
Last update on 2023-05-15 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Premium Wireless Surround Sound Gaming Headset

The Turtle Beach Stealth 700 is one of the most popular gaming headsets, with its big channel speaker setup for immersive sound.
If you’re looking to get your hands on a prestigious headset that can easily rival premium-priced expensive models like Sony or Bose, here’s one set worth considering.
The microphone included does not require any noticeable tweaking to facilitate voice quality; however, it often has some input noise due to environmental factors.
That said, the overall setup leaves nothing lacking, and this will be perfect for competitive gamers who want something they actually can use without losing all their hard-earned cash in dust cleaners.
- Xbox Wireless – Enjoy the simplicity and superiority of a...
- Windows Sonic surround sound: Windows Sonic for headphones...
- Active noise cancellation: Block out unwanted background...
Last update on 2023-05-15 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
HyperX Cloud Flight Wireless Gaming Headset

Anyone calling themselves a gamer should consider these things if it’s for your PlayStation or Xbox. The HyperX Cloud Flight is one of the best wireless gaming headsets out there that you can manage to pick up from somewhere without breaking the bank.
For players who need some headphones for their console rather than an entire full-fledged headset system, this unit will be perfect as it works equally well with Nintendo and Sony consoles and PC games on Steam.
It also comes with a whole load of features, including three preset EQ settings, allowing access to quick switching between them. It’s also very comfortable and quiet, meaning you can easily play all day without fatigue.
- Gaming grade 2.4GHz wireless connection, with up to 30 hours...
- Signature HyperX comfort and immersive in game audio
- Durable, adjustable steel slider
Last update on 2023-05-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
SteelSeries Arctis Pro High Fidelity Gaming Headset

Thanks to its quality audio and low latency operation, the SteelSeries Arctis Pro High Fidelity Gaming Headset is one of the most popular headsets with PC game players.
One of the best aspects of this binaural headset is it is innovative suspend feature that truly makes for a hybrid between near-field wireless gaming solutions like Astro A50 or Playstation VR and powerful wired headsets like HyperX Cloud Flight Headset.
This means even if you’re playing on your regular television screen, there’s no fear about sounds depleting transmission distance (at least not nearly so often compared to wireless solutions) or of any delays caused by the receiver being far from you.
In addition, the headset comes with flexible pivoting cups that easily contour your skull no matter how big, small, or slanted it may be, so there are zero problems here.
However, there is still a cable on this, which allows for two-way sound communication between both sides of the conversation once the interference has been detected.
- Premium hi res capable speakers with high density neodymium...
- Luxurious polished steel and aluminum alloy construction...
- Next generation DTS headphone: X v2.0 surround sound...
Last update on 2023-05-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
FAQs
Can you use noise Cancelling headphones for gaming?
Yes, noise cancelling headphones are a great way to enjoy your favorite games without distractions.
However, they do not make the best choice for every game. In addition, there are some limitations of noise cancelling headphones that you should be aware of before purchasing them.
One major limitation is that it may not be possible to hear sounds outside the headset while playing a game because of how high the volume is on these devices.
To avoid this problem, it is recommended that you set up a volume slider to change the sound levels as needed and maintain your hearing at the same time.
Are Bose noise canceling headphones good for gaming?
Yes, you can use Bose products with noise cancelling technology for gaming purposes.
However, if the sound quality is too poor or you find that it becomes irritating over time, then think about getting a different pair of headphones because this will ensure your optimal gaming experience.
Can Sony noise Cancelling headphones be used for gaming?
Sony noise cancelling headphones are a premium product that is mainly designed for professional use. However, the sound quality of these headphones is impeccable, and they have the best features that come with a high price tag.
However, Sony noise cancelling headphones may not be suitable for gaming because the design was meant to cancel out outside noise so you can focus on your work without distractions.
In addition, it has been said that when you listen to music with these headphones, there is an echo in the background, which might not be ideal for gamers who need a clear audio experience while playing games.
Best noise-cancelling headphones (w/Mic) for PC?
The best noise-cancelling headphones (w/Mic) for PC are the Bose QuietComfort 35, Sony WH1000XM3, and the Bose QuietComfort 35 II. All of these models offer a great mix of sound quality, comfort, and battery life.
In addition, the Bose model provides a superior design that is lighter than most other noise-cancelling headphones on the market while still providing exceptional noise cancellation performance.
In terms of sound quality, the Sony WH1000XM3 offers excellent stereo sound with deep bass and highs that can rival any other headphone on the market.
The only downside to this model is its lack of wireless connectivity, making it harder to use when you’re not plugged into your computer or phone’s charging port.
Conclusion
Choosing which headset is right for you is a must if you’re serious about competing at the highest level. You won’t want to compromise concerning comfort or quality, hence why there are so many models on this list with solid feedback from their users.
Hopefully, after reading our guide above, it will be easy for you to work towards selecting the best gaming headphone solution that fits your needs and style!